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Congress Failed to Act on Reauthorization of Land and Water Conservation Fund
Authorization for the revenue stream for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) expired last night at the end of Fiscal Year 2015. That financing – diverted from a small portion of offshore drilling receipts – will no longer be deposited into a trust fund that Congress intended to protect America’s treasures when it established the program in 1964.
Diverse Group of Representatives Testify at Hearing on Productivity and the Workforce
The National Institute of Building Sciences is still accepting written testimony for the Representative Hearing on Productivity and the Workforce, held this past Friday, September 25, at the Institute’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. A total of nine speakers representing a broad group of industry organizations testified at the hearing. Industry representatives and media also participated.
CAP Report Outlines Barriers LGBT Homeless Youth Face in Obtaining Important Identification Documents
Research suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, youth experience homelessness at a much higher rate than their non-LGBT peers. Like for most homeless youth, this leads to significant challenges accessing food, shelter, health care, education, and employment, and these challenges may be heightened for youth who identify as LGBT. In addition, homeless youth often struggle to obtain state-issued photo identification, which further limits their access to programs and services that may aid them in securing safe and stable housing
AARP, J.P. Morgan Asset Management Create First-of-its-Kind “Innovation Fund” to Invest in Innovative Companies...
AARP and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are announcing the formation of the AARP Innovation Fund, a first of its kind investment fund with approximately $40 million in assets that will provide capital to innovative companies focusing on improving the lives of people 50-plus. As the sole third party investor in this fund advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, AARP will make direct investments in innovative companies that meet its mission and strategic goals.
Mortgage Professionals Encouraged by CFPB Director Assurances on TRID
NAMB - The Association of Mortgage Professionals, today renewed its call for passage of H.R. 3192 legislation directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to provide for a "hold harmless" period until the end of 2015 for companies that make a good-faith effort to comply with the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID)
Prize-winning Methodology for Evaluating CO2 Benefits of “Green” Investments Applied to Hannon Armstrong’s Latest...
“The Alliance to Save Energy is proud to announce that its innovative CarbonCount™ methodology is now fully operational, having been used to certify the carbon reductions of a $118.6 million “green” bonds offering completed today by Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (NYSE: HASI). With this step, CarbonCount™ transitions from a heralded concept to a real-world tool that provides investors with a quantitative measure of projected carbon impacts for each investment dollar.
New ULI Semi-Annual Forecast for Real Estate Market Less Bullish, But Still Foresees Continued...
The real estate market is projected to continue expanding at healthy and fairly steady levels for 2015 through 2017, according to a new three-year economic forecast from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate. The latest ULI Real Estate Consensus Forecast, a semi-annual outlook, is based on a survey of 49 of the industry’s top economists and analysts representing 36 of the country’s leading real estate investment, advisory, and research firms and organizations
Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Mortgage applications decreased 6.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 25, 2015.
2015 Realtor® Good Neighbor Award Winners Bring Positive Change to Communities
Over the last 16 years, the Good Neighbor Awards have recognized Realtors® from across the nation who dedicate countless volunteer hours to improve the lives and wellbeing of their neighbors. The five individuals named as this year's REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Award winners embody this incredible commitment to helping those around them and serve as an example of how Realtors® build and strengthen communities.
Hiring a REALTOR® vs. For Sale by Owner
Having lived in your home for years, if not decades, there’s no arguing that you know the ins-and-outs of your current residence better than anyone else. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be the best person to sell your home when you decide to move. Though tempting, For Sale By Owner transactions are not as successful or lucrative as some might originally assume — even in a seller’s market
Realtors Commercial Alliance of MIAMI Presents Commercial Super Conference “Growth of a Global City:...
he Realtors Commercial Alliance of the MIAMI Association of Realtors (RCA MIAMI) will present its 15th annual Commercial Super Conference on Friday. More than 20 respected speakers will discuss how Miami has become a global destination for real estate investment and development.
Consumers Energy’s Budget Plan Allows Michigan Residents to Manage Bills Predictably During All Seasons
With Michigan soon entering the winter heating season, Consumers Energy is encouraging residents and businesses to manage their energy bills for all seasons by enrolling in the monthly Budget Plan.
The Internal Audit Department released its Pavement Management, Audit 14-12
During the audit, Public Works and Utility Services was reorganized so that the City’s pavement management responsibilities are now under the newly created Transportation and Stormwater Services Department. In addition to pavement management, the department maintains traffic signals, traffic signs, pavement markings, special events, permit inspections, stormwater drainage, and movable bridges.
Summer Market Remained Strong as Massachusetts Closed Home Sales Went Up Again in August
The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reported today that the positive trend this summer was to continue as single-family home sales went up in August over nine percent compared to the same time last year. This is the third straight month of year-over-year increases in single-family home sales. The median price of single family homes was also up for the 12th time in the last 14 months.
MBA Welcomes 14 New Members
the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced that in August it welcomed 14 new regular members to its ranks, which currently numbers more than 2,200 member companies.
Water Sector Groups Release Water Resources Utility of the Future Annual Report
A partnership of water sector organizations—the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) and WateReuse— today released the Water Resources Utility of the Future 2015 Annual Report. The report was officially released this morning during a special utility executives session at WEFTEC 2015 in Chicago
Leading Global Real Estate Companies Mark Sixth Year of Improved Sustainability
Over the past year, global real estate firms have reduced energy consumption in buildings by the equivalent of almost 280,000 barrels of oil and cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road, according to a new report, Greenprint Performance Report: Volume 6, released by the ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance.
Solaria Corporation and Stem, Inc. Join ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance as Innovation...
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance, a worldwide alliance of leading real estate owners, investors and financial institutions committed to improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions across the global property industry, has announced the addition of Solaria Corporation and Stem, Inc. as its newest innovation partners.
CHLA Releases Action Plan for Housing Finance Reform
The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) today released an Action Plan that lays out transitional steps to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, preserve a government guarantee, and protect taxpayers. The Plan was released in response to concerns that some aspects of pending Congressional GSE proposals could promote market concentration and a return of Big Bank practices that contributed to the 2008 housing crisis.
Reliable communication with servicers is improving, but remains major challenge for counselors helping homeowners...
Housing counselors across the country working with homeowners to find an alternative to foreclosure for thousands of homeowners cite improving communications with servicers, but note that more needs to be done, according to the latest report on the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program (NFMC). NFMC is a congressionally funded effort that has helped more than 1.9 million homeowners understand their foreclosure prevention options